Platform makes art buying and research easier

Art.sy offers a way for collectors to search for pieces to buy and also acts as a research tool for anyone to access.

Art buying is no longer confined to auction, and startups such as Eye Buy Art are already making original pieces affordable for the average consumer. Providing a similar platform for collectors to purchase world renowned art, Art.sy is also hoping to catalog pieces online to give anyone access to information about them. Led by computer science engineer Carter Cleveland and former Christie’s executive Sebastian Cwilich, Art.sy is currently a database of 25,000 works of art – some 10,000 of which are available to buy – from leading international artists, museums and collections. The team are working on its Art Genome Project, which aims to catalog all of these pieces according to over 800 different characteristics, such as art historical context, subject matter, materials used and formal qualities. The project will allow for students and researchers to more easily learn about artists through serendipitous connections, much like platforms such as Pandora have done for music. Collectors can also search for pieces this way and, using the Inquire button, get connected to an Art.sy specialist who will help them contact the relevant galleries and dealers. No fee is charged for this service and access to the site is also free. Art.sy aims to make art more accessible by openly providing images and information about artworks with smart cataloging functions, as well as helping collectors find the pieces they like. Are there any other areas in which similar genome projects could be carried out? Spotted by: Murray Orange